Here it now....Mike McKee will be the next player to wear #24 in Detroit AND since he is heading to Western this fall, he can get a year under his belt with Dekeyser and become friends....then they can both be Red Wings SOON!

I am utterly surprised Kenny drafted this kid....good on ya Kenny! Ok, so not exact same off season so far...Good pick up here!

All of the big names generated the buzz at the NHL's Research and Development Camp this week (we're talking some Ryan 'full bluntal Nugity' Nugent-Hopkins here), but one kid who came in as a virtual unknown is now reportedly drawing interest from the NHL scouting community.

Defenseman Mike McKee, a native of Newmarket, Ontario who plays for former Bruin Matt Herr at the Kent School. Scouts are not sure why McKee, who could play for the Ottawa 67's or even the USHL's Lincoln Stars (they own his rights) is playing in a hockey backwater in the New England prep ranks instead of the OHL, but after the performance he had in Toronto last Wednesday, things might change.

McKee at 17 is already 6-4 and 230 pounds and apparently skates extremely well for such a big boy. He's an August 1993 birthdate, which means he's on the young end of the spectrum. He had three goals and 11 points last season for the Lions, and watch for him to breakout in a big way (pun intended) this season if he returns.

He and USHL defender Scott Mayfield looked quite good as a defensive pairing on the ice this week, and it will be interesting to see how his hockey skills and intellect grade out, as clearly, the fact that he's such a physical specimen already but one who can actually skate, makes him one kid that NHL teams are zeroing in on this season no matter where he ends up playing.

"Some guys dream about scoring goals, or making big saves... I swear to God I dream about kicking ass in a hockey fight - no other way to say it than I love to do it, its who I am"... Brian McGrattan

Here it now....Mike McKee will be the next player to wear #24 in Detroit AND since he is heading to Western this fall, he can get a year under his belt with Dekeyser and become friends....then they can both be Red Wings SOON!

I am utterly surprised Kenny drafted this kid....good on ya Kenny! Ok, so not exact same off season so far...Good pick up here!

So glad this kid is Red Wings property! How long until he is in GR? Soon I hope!

I'm excited for this pick too. I think he will need a few years at Western to get better positionally, but he seems to have all the tools to be a force in the NHL. From what I've read, he has great foot speed and a good shot, but his defensive game needs work. He switched to D recentely, and hopefully he can improve his defensive game. I'm hoping he can be a better version of Carkner.

I'm excited for this pick too. I think he will need a few years at Western to get better positionally, but he seems to have all the tools to be a force in the NHL. From what I've read, he has great foot speed and a good shot, but his defensive game needs work. He switched to D recentely, and hopefully he can improve his defensive game. I'm hoping he can be a better version of Carkner.

This is what I am hoping too. If he can work out his decision making skills, with his size and skating ability he could be on the fast track to the NHL.

Obviously a pick that I love but even better is that I just read hes only played 1 year of defense, so he is very raw in that reguard. He could become like an Ericcson situation where his D gets quite a bit better because he was very raw at one point. The other AMAZING part of this pick is he isnt a big, slow goon. His skating is apparently very good and he moves aronud fast out there. Down the line he could even be switched to forward again if D just isnt working out for him, unleash him from the fourth line and let him run around at anything that moves because hes fast.

Great pick! and by going to WMU, we all know he can fight, he had 12 last season which is A LOT in the USHL and he led the league but at WMU he can learn to play defense without worrying about fighting as much. In that fight video above where he works that Ferguson, that guy is a fighter and 2 years older than him and Mckee just tuned him. I can't believe the wings drafted a 6'5, 232 lb 17 year old. Hes going to be a monster and at the very least an enforcer somewhere in the NHL I would guess because he can skate

Obviously a pick that I love but even better is that I just read hes only played 1 year of defense, so he is very raw in that reguard. He could become like an Ericcson situation where his D gets quite a bit better because he was very raw at one point. The other AMAZING part of this pick is he isnt a big, slow goon. His skating is apparently very good and he moves aronud fast out there. Down the line he could even be switched to forward again if D just isnt working out for him, unleash him from the fourth line and let him run around at anything that moves because hes fast.

Great pick! and by going to WMU, we all know he can fight, he had 12 last season which is A LOT in the USHL and he led the league but at WMU he can learn to play defense without worrying about fighting as much. In that fight video above where he works that Ferguson, that guy is a fighter and 2 years older than him and Mckee just tuned him. I can't believe the wings drafted a 6'5, 232 lb 17 year old. Hes going to be a monster and at the very least an enforcer somewhere in the NHL I would guess because he can skate

He is 18 and will be 19 in a couple of months. The link to the other article about him was made in 2010.

He is 18 and will be 19 in a couple of months. The link to the other article about him was made in 2010.

Still the guy looks older than me and I am 26.

Calling shins on him being ONLY 17

He is 18 and will be 19 in a couple of months. The link to the other article about him was made in 2010.

Still the guy looks older than me and I am 26.

Oh ok, when I read that I figured it was from this year. Oh well, he is still abeast and has only played D for a couple years. On RWC the wings brass was saying he was by far the toughest in his league and might be the toughest in this draft as well. He seems to beat up quite a few guys anyways. But still the best part is by far the fact that he is actually describes as fast

While I can understand why certain people are excited, keep in mind... 5th round pick, ~10% chance he'll be anything more than a fringe NHLer. Though if it makes you feel any better, Helm was also a 5th rounder.